Long live Taylor Field, and other matters

Maybe it’s a tell-tale sign of getting old (43). Perhaps I’m just being petty. Or maybe I am craving attention by clinging to a personal crusade that might not matter to anyone but me. In any event, here is my mantra: Long live Taylor Field!

I know, I know . . . The official title of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ domain is Mosaic Stadium. The name change was announced, amid considerable fanfare, almost a year ago (June 23). Nonetheless, I have been steadfast in ensuring that the good name of Neil J. (Piffles) Taylor will never be forgotten.

This is being done by seizing upon one gaping loophole in the renaming process. When making the announcement, it was emphasized that the playing surface itself would still be known as Taylor Field, while the entire complex would be known as (cue trumpets) Mosaic Stadium.

Fine, then. Taylor Field lives.

For example, it is entirely accurate to report that FieldTurf adorns Taylor Field. The new carpeting cannot adorn Mosaic Stadium unless it is draped over the grandstands, the scoreboard, the Roughriders’ offices, the pep band, etc.

So here’s my perspective. It is appropriate to say that the Roughriders play “on Taylor Field,’’ but not “at Taylor Field.’’ The latter reference should be “at Mosaic Stadium.’’

Here are some examples of fine, enterprising, ground-breaking sports journalism.

May 31, 2007: “Kent Austin enjoyed his first on-field sessions as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ head coach on Wednesday, when rookie camp began on Taylor Field.’’

May 19: 2007: “(David) McKoy is expected to be among roughly 15 receivers who attend training camp, which is to open June 3 on Taylor Field.’’

A recent search revealed that almost 100 of my stories or columns have included the phrase “on Taylor Field’’ over the past 11-plus months. To his credit, Leader-Post sports copy editor Gord Craig contributed to the worthiest of causes last week, when he expertly composed a photo caption which reads: “Fred Russell, a rookie trying to crack the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster, hauls in a pass during the first day of rookie camp on Taylor Field.’’

Beautiful, beautiful . . .

This probably isn’t what the nice people at The Mosaic Company had in mind when they forked over seven figures for the naming rights. But if they really, really, REALLY wanted their good name out there, one of their highest-ranking executives could have returned the two phone messages I left in advance of last June’s announcement. The phone never rang — presumably because the executive did not want to sabotage the looming announcement — but, in all immodesty, I broke the story anyway. So there.

On the day of the formal press conference, one of the dignitaries referred to the arrangement as a “win-win situation.’’ To this day, I wholeheartedly concur. The arrangement has worked out marvellously for all concerned.

The Mosaic Company has received unprecedented exposure. The Roughriders and the city continue to derive benefits from the money. And I still get to write “on Taylor Field.’’

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I have only one problem with blogging: My sainted mother has carefully catalogued everything I have written for public dissemination since 1986. How does she put THIS in a scrapbook?

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So what is my objective with this blog?

Is it time to unleash some Blogservations upon the unsuspecting public? At this stage, no man can say.

Blogging is as foreign to me as eating responsibly. Even without the blog, I already have forums for my opinions. Sports columns appear regularly in the Leader-Post and Regina Sun. The latter column is often goofier, unless I resort to being maudlin by lamenting deceased pets, etc.

Now I have a blog — or at least a share in one. So what now? Here is my intention: I will leave the serious, thoroughly journalistic stuff to my learned colleague and worthy constituent, Darrell Davis. I want to have some delicious fun with this and, when possible, engage in irreverence.

This could also be a tool to shamelessly recruit people for our weekly, all-comers touch football game (every Saturday, 1 p.m., near the Legislative Building). Please bring cleats and, if possible, a defibrillator.

I would also like to use this forum to explain the rationale behind columns or overall coverage of the Roughriders. As the Leader-Post’s sports columnist and sports co-ordinator, I am accountable for it all. So let’s hear from you. All suggestions are welcomed.

(Hold on. I can’t do THAT! I am a lot of things, but not a contortionist.)

In any event, it is my hope that you will enjoy this as much as I do. See you at Taylor Field! Oops. My mistake. This is tougher than I thought.

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